Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette

I was a junior in high school when I listened to Jagged Little Pill for the first time. I'd barely experienced life at this point yet I knew this was the real deal: anger, bitterness, heartache, lust, self confidence. I knew I'd come to know all of these experiences intimately and I couldn't wait!

As I mentioned a few days ago, Alanis' songs have always resonated with me because she does such an incredible job of capturing what it's like to be a woman, to experience this roller coaster of emotions and hormones. We can feel ugly and beautiful in the same day, wearing the same outfit! This song says hey, there are some not so nice things about me but they all have a silver lining. This struck a chord with 16 year old me and still does 19 years later. I'm still short, but I'm healthy. Sometimes I'm wrong but I'm often sorry about it. I can be brave but I can chicken out. I still haven't gotten everything figured out but I know everything is going to be quite alright. We all have all these sides to us and it's nice to be reminded I'm not the only one.

This is a pick me up song, a feel good about life song. There's never a time it doesn't make me smile. I don't think I know a woman my age who doesn't like at least one of Alanis' songs or find her relatable in some way. She's gone through phases of being angry, angsty, sentimental and romantic. We've all been there! I definitely appreciate a female artist who can sum up these universal experiences and put them out there for those of us in need of some reassurance.